Friday, October 15, 2010

FLUFF AND STUFF ...

Yep, good names for these two - tucked in and snuggled up behind the box is a favorite place on a nice day outside.

I have a gig this fall and winter - weekly wading (bushwhacking really!) a mile or so in two different streams counting spawning salmon. First trip was Wednesday, for the boss to give us an orientation and show us our creeks - no fish expected. But this IS a surprise - a female Coho already way up the creek and pretty well the worse for wear. (We saw a second too.) This fish has gone about 10 miles up a river, 10 miles up a big creek, over a small water fall and then 10 miles up a lake to find this dab of a creek with about 10" of water in it. She is about 2 1/2 feet long! Saw no males - hope some get there soon! (We'll be counting until all fish gone - well into January.)

Absolutely - all credit and ensuing royalties, contributions, and loose change go to D.Moll for conjuring and first reporting the wonderful name "Fluff and Stuff" for Goldie and Benji! Since there really won't be any royalties etc. forthcoming I strongly encourage you to vist her site, link to her "store" and BUY STUFF!

Most of the fish we find will be Kokanee, which are "landlocked" Sockeye salmon that live all their lives in a freshwater lake and spawn up in the feeder streams. They get to be around 12" long. This year we expect to find them by the hundreds - possibly thousands - due to good conditions the past year. We also will find Coho (Silver) salmon that have come in from the ocean. Over the past several years the streams have had a lot of habitat improvement work done by local Fisheries Enhancement groups and our counting efforts help document the results.

That's why our instructions include putting your wallet and cell phone in a securely tight plastic bag, have a change of clothes in the car and also a thermos of hot fluids and extra water!! And we sign this long disclaimer ....

A female makes the nest (called a redd) in rocky-bottomed flowing water. These size coho will push rocks the size of baseballs around - with their tails - to make the redd. So the females get more beat up, especially their tails. The males will develop a more hooked mouth. Females also defend their nest while males sort of - you know - cruise around!